Wage Growth in Euro Area Picks Up

By

Paul Hannon,

Jason Douglas and

Tom Fairless

Updated June 21, 2011 12:01 a.m. ET

FRANKFURT—The increase in wages and other labor costs accelerated in the euro zone during the first quarter, although wages continued to fall in Greece and Ireland—two members that are grappling with fiscal crises.

The European Union's Eurostat agency said wages and salaries in the 17 nations that use the euro increased 2.3% from the first quarter of 2010, a pickup from the 1.4% annual increase recorded in the final three months of...